CM Fairytale
by xzonia
Summary: I was on the CBS forum chatting with some friends, when one of them, falc, gave me a plot bunny to feed and care for. It's such a sweet pet! So I gave it some love and attention, and this is the story that grew out of it. I hope you all enjoy it.:
1. Chapter 1 Once Upon a Time

**(JJ says):**

"Come away, O human child!

To the waters and the wild

With a faery, hand in hand,

For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand."

- William Butler Yeats, _The Stolen Child._

Once upon a time, there was a very grumpy and exhausted team who had just arrived home from a particularly grueling case. They went by the names Hotchner, Rossi, Morgan, Prentiss, Reid, and Todd. Morgan, caring more for others than himself, asked a very worn out Todd, "Are you going to be alright?"

"I will be" she answered, walking away from the others across the bullpen.

Noticing JJ in the conference room, the rest of the team headed in there to say hi to her and her new bundle of joy, Henry. When asked why she had come in, she explained how she realized how much of a toll the work takes sometimes, and she wanted the team to have a good memory. Garcia walked in, making a happy fuss as Morgan eagerly reached for Henry and took him in his arms.

Now, Henry's fairy godmother, Matilda, was a little ditzy and overeager to make sure that her ward was starting life on the best possible note. Looking at the overworked crowd, she realized that the team was not harmonious and as happy as they could be. "This could be bad for Henry," she thought to herself. Wanting to protect him, she quickly decided that she needed to send this group on a very special case to help them regain their joy.

Without hesitation, Matilda lifted her wand to say a magical invocation. At that moment, Todd walked into the room to ask a question. Morgan handed Henry back to JJ and walked towards Todd in an attempt to head off any unpleasantness.

In her softest fairy voice that only the ears of newborns can hear, Matilda said: "Away with you all to the land of Happiness, where you will work through your issues and be joyful once more!" and everyone except JJ and Henry were swept away in a sudden dazzling light display from the cold FBI room.

Once JJ could see again, she realized instantly what must have happened. "Matilda!" she called in an annoyed voice. When the fairy godmother didn't appear, JJ called more sternly, "Matilda, I know you're there! Show yourself!" What she did not realize was that Matilda was currently busy setting the team up for their latest case. Not willing to wait for Matilda to show, JJ pulled out her cell phone and called the one person who could help her straighten this mess out. "Will, hi. We've got a problem. Matilda is at it again. I don't think she learned her lesson from the grandparents incident." With a promise from Will that he would be there straightaway, JJ began working on her end to set things right again.


	2. Chapter 2 Sleeping Beauties

_Reid woke up first, probably because he was the youngest of the group. He sat up and looked around, befuddled by what had just happened. The rest of his team were sprawled on the ground around him, asleep and apparently unharmed. But where are we?,_ the young genius asked himself silently. "Guys!" he called out loudly. Emily Prentiss was closest to him, within arms length, so he reached over and shook her gently. "Emily, wake up!" he called to her urgently.

"I won, I won," Emily muttered in her sleep without moving. She smiled slightly and rolled over away from Reid. He pressed his lips together and scooted across the ground closer to her and shook her a little harder. "C'mon Emily, wake up! Something really weird is going on here!" he urged her. Her hand flew up and awkwardly pressed against his face. _Wow, she's really out_, Spencer thought, a little impressed by her deep sleep. He decided to give up on her for the moment and work on someone else.

Rossi was the next closest to him, so Reid got to his feet and walked a few steps over to him. "Rossi, hey, Rossi, wake up!" he called out to the older man as he knelt down to shake him as he had done Emily.

As soon as Reid's hand touched his shoulder, Rossi's eyes flew open. "What is it Reid? I'm trying to sleep here!" he growled at the youth. Startled by Rossi's abrupt awakening, Reid fell back from him onto the ground. He was surprised that the fall didn't hurt. The ground was actually very soft and its grass was amazingly springy.

"Rossi, I'm glad you're awake! Something strange has happened. I'm not sure what really. One minute we were at the office, and the next I woke up and, and, well, we were all here in this field." Reid gestured with his hand to indicate the large clearing the team was lying in.

"Your babbling kid. Go back to your room and get some sleep, and leave me alone." Rossi closed his eyes again, then realized how bright it was. "And turn off the light when you leave too!" he called out to Reid.

"Rossi, you don't understand!" Reid retorted quickly. "C'mon, why isn't anyone waking up?" he said in a lower voice to himself. The thought flashed through his mind to give Rossi a swift quick to jar him awake, but he resisted the sudden impulse. He didn't think the older man would find it very amusing. He heard another voice call to him from across the field, "Reid, what's going on here kid?"

Relieved to hear Morgan's voice, Reid hopped up and quickly walked over to where Morgan was sitting up on the ground. Garcia was on one side of him, and Todd was on the other. _Even sound asleep he gets the ladies_, Reid thought in sudden amusement. He gave Morgan a lopsided grin that was part relief, part suppressed laughter. "I don't know really. I just woke up a minute ago myself. I can't seem to get Emily or Rossi to wake up though."

"Well, help me with these two" Morgan said, gesturing to the women on either side of him. He reached over and called to Garcia "Hey, baby girl, wake up. I need you, girl."

"Oh, sugar, I will make you forget your own name!" Garcia quipped in her sleep, but stirring at the sound of his voice. _That girl has a one track mind_, Morgan thought to himself, smiling. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at Morgan smiling down at her. "Now that's how I like to wake up in the morning!" she told him with her normal light attitude. He took her hands and helped her get to her feet.

"You know, that ground is surprisingly comfy" Garcia told Morgan as she brushed her clothes off. He thought about it for a minute, and he had to agree that he also found laying on it oddly pleasant. He took a deep breath, and found the air clean and invigorating. He looked around his surroundings; everything here was beautiful to his eyes. He listened absently as Reid worked to wake up Todd. Like the others, she seemed to dismiss him. After another minute of drinking in the lovely landscape, he turned to help Reid.

"Here kid, let me," he told Reid. Reid gestured towards Todd with both hands. "Be my guest" he said eagerly.

"Todd, wake up girl. We need you up now," Morgan's deep voice called to her. Like Garcia, Todd's eyes slowly opened and focused on the source of the wonderful siren call luring her away from sleep. Once the sleep fog lifted and she realized who it was, though, her calm features turned to annoyance. "Oh, what do you need?" she asked abruptly.

Taken off-guard by her tone, Morgan glanced at Reid with a look that said _Did you hear that?_ Reid quickly turned to Todd and babbled "Todd, something weird has happened. Somehow we've ended up in a field. I don't know where we are, but we need everyone awake and up to figure this out."

Todd slowly turned from Morgan to Reid. _Whatever_, she thought to herself. She looked where Reid's hands quickly waved at, and realized he was telling her the truth. She also saw the rest of the team laying on the ground around her. _Oh, this could be interesting_, she thought with sudden excitement. She got to her feet on her own, and quickly walked over to Hotchner, muttering under her breath as she went. "Hey, wake up!" she called stridently to Aaron, who was past out on the ground, unmoving. His deep, slow breaths and relaxed features made him look younger than she was accustomed to thinking of him as being. For a moment, she thought he looked handsome, his face framed by the small white flowers and bright green grass of the field.

Behind Todd, Emily finally arose from the ground and called to the others in a soft, quizzical tone, "Hey, what's going on here? Where are we?" She looked down at Rossi, who was now tossing and turning on the ground next to her. He seemed to be fighting against waking up. After another minute, he threw his hands up in the air. "Fine, I'm awake!" he growled to no one in particular. Emily smiled at his gruff demeanor. _He's cranky when he first wakes up; definitely not a morning person_, she noted to herself.

As Rossi rose from the ground, everyone slowly walked towards Hotchner and Todd. Garcia got there first, and Emily walked around to stand beside her. Looking down at their sleeping leader, Garcia said to Emily in a conspiratorial voice, "Maybe he just needs a kiss to wake up." She smiled and nudged Emily, who laughed and rolled her eyes playfully back at Garcia.

"And who, exactly, would be doing the kissing?" Hotch called from the ground, his eyes still closed. As Garcia begin to sputter an apology, Aaron smiled and opened his eyes to look up at her. "It's alright, Garcia. I have to say, I'm glad to know you'd make that kind of sacrifice for me" he teased her.

"Oh, it'd be no sacrifice at all! Sir." Garcia replied, suddenly blushing a little. She glanced at Morgan, who had just moved to her other side and was grinning widely as she squirmed. "You never get flustered like that for me," he teased her quietly. He reached out and offered a hand to Hotch, who took it and practically bounced up from the ground. He smiled at the unexpected ease with which he arose form the ground.

"So, what's going on here?" He looked around at the clearing they were in. It was surprisingly lovely, almost like a well-tended English garden, though it was also clear that no human hand had arranged the scenery he beheld.

"Now that you're all awake, I will tell you" a lovely voice answered. Morgan, Garcia, and Emily turned around to face the person who had spoken, and the others turned slightly to see a small floating figure before them. "I am Matilda, a fairy, and Henry's godmother."

"Hey, I'm his godmother!" Garcia said with sudden indignation.

"Yes, on JJ's side, my dear" Matilda responded pleasantly. "I represent Will's side."

"I thought the parents were supposed to agree on one godmother" Garcia answered, still confused.

"Well, yes, dear, but they didn't really decide on me, so much as I was _assigned _to them." She saw Garcia was about to respond again, and she cut her off "No. Don't worry about it, my dear. It would only give you a headache." She waved her wand slightly, and Garcia suddenly relaxed.

"Now, as I was saying, I am Henry's fairy godmother. I…"

"There's no such thing as fairies" Reid interrupted.

Suddenly getting a little peeved by this group, Matilda waved her wand at all of them. The group as a whole relaxed, and when she was sure that they would not interrupt her further, she started again.

"I brought you all here because you are clearly very stressed out by your work, and that kind of stress is not good to have around Henry at such a young age. So, to relieve your stress, I am going to help you all by allowing you to work a little case here in Happily Ever After Land, or HEAL as we like to call it for short."

"What kind of case?" Rossi asked her gruffly.

Sighing, Matilda waved over Rossi twice more with her wand. _My, he is a stubborn one_, she thought silently.

"As I was saying, I will have you work a little case here in HEAL. I had you rest first so that you would have the energy you need to do the work at hand. Each minute you slept upon this ground was like sleeping an hour in your normal lives. Each of you slept as long as you needed to in order to feel fully recharged and ready to go." Reid glanced over at Hotch, and he noticed he no longer had bags under his eyes. _Interesting_, he thought. Other thoughts occurred to him, but for some reason he didn't feel like speaking at the moment.

Matilda continued. "All you need to do is go out and talk to the local villagers, and they will tell you what has happened, and what you can do to help. So run along. And try to enjoy yourselves. That is what you are here for, after all." With that, Matilda waved her wand over herself and *Poof!*, she was gone.

"Well, that wasn't very informative" Emily said. She tried to sound annoyed, but it came out oddly chipper.

"Well, we better get a move on. The sooner we close this case, the sooner we can go home," Hotchner told his team. He was surprised that, as he said these words, he realized he wasn't in any particular hurry to return home. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so good.

"I think we should try this way," Reid said, pointing to his left.

"Why that way kid?" Morgan asked him, genuinely puzzled how Reid could have an idea where to go here.

"If you look on the horizon there, above the treeline, do you see that speck in the distance? I think that's the top of a building's spire. And where there's buildings…"

"There's people", Morgan finished for him. "Sounds good to me." He looked at Hotchner.

"Let's do it. Lead the way, Reid," Hotch told him. As they walked across the clearing, the grass felt so good under his feet Hotchner considered for a moment taking his shoes and socks off. He wondered if it would feel as soft as he imagined. He smiled for no particular reason.

***


	3. Chapter 3 Let's Review

By the time that Will had arrived, JJ had already checked the team's schedule to make sure they weren't going to be expected anywhere for the next few days, got Henry to take a nap, and was reviewing what she knew about Matilda. She would need all the information she had at her disposal to try to get this fairy to cooperate and bring her team -_ her family _- back to her.

She had first met this fairy the day she brought Henry home from the hospital. A pleasant looking older woman had knocked on JJ's door, and in a thick Louisiana accent told her she was a friend of Will's family. JJ invited her in, and was surprised when Will came out of the nursery, took one look at the woman, and began asking her to leave.

As he tried to guide the woman out of JJ's house, she began to shimmer, and then changed into a small floating fairy. With a musical voice devoid of any accent now, she proceeded to explain to JJ that she was Will's fairy godmother when he was a baby, and now she had been assigned to watch over Henry too. Incredulous, JJ simply stared at this floating impossibility as she told JJ how Will's mother was directly descended from a long line of magical people, and she had been assigned to watch over Henry in case he ever showed signs of magical abilities.

"It's really just a fluff assignment," Matilda had continued. "There's been no sign of magical abilities in this family since Will's great grandmother. But, what can you do? Sometimes these things skip a few generations."

Never a believer in magic before, JJ felt like her world had turned upside down as she was told she might have a baby that could someday alter his appearance at will, move things with his mind, or perform other unbelievable acts. Unable to listen to Matilda prattle on further, she had interrupted and turned to Will for explanations.

"Why did you never mention this before? Why didn't you at least warn me that this could happen?" The anger she felt rising inside her still didn't vanquish her astonishment, and her words had no force to them.

"Would you have believed me?" Will asked her in his thick Louisiana accent. "You don't even believe in psychics, and they're all around us. You don't believe in ghosts or UFOs or even Big Foot. So how could I tell you about this? C'mon now, you would have thought I was a few cards shy of a full deck." He studied her reaction with searching eyes. JJ looked down and rubbed her head. "Don't tell me Big Foot's real," she said in a soft, yet clearly irritated, voice.

"How would I know? It's not like I've met one," Will replied quietly, teasing her.

JJ smiled slightly, then looked back up at the fairy patiently floating in front of them. "This is absurd." Always practical, even in the most extreme circumstances, JJ told the fairy, "Well, come this way. You might as well meet Henry." She shoved into Will's side slightly with her shoulder, and told him "This discussion is not over."

"Wait," Will told her as the fairy began to drift towards the nursery. "I never said I wanted you anywhere near Henry, Matilda."

"What's wrong?" JJ asked, suddenly scared for their child.

Matilda turned and looked at Will. "You're not still upset about that, are you?" she asked Will in an amused voice. "You made the wish, after all."

"I was seven, Matilda. All seven year olds wish they could fly. That doesn't mean you grant their wish."

"What happened?" JJ interjected, not understanding where this was going.

Will turned to look at her. "She forgot to tell me that it wasn't permanent, and that I could only fly when I was with her. The next day, I wanted to fly to school to show my friends, so I climbed up a tree next to our car garage, hopped onto its roof, and ran full speed off it to help me go. Of course I fell. Fortunately, it wasn't that high and I only sprained my ankle, but I could've killed myself."

JJ smiled involuntarily at the mental image of Will leaping off a roof like that. "Did you wear a cape too?" she teased him.

"Yeah, you think it's funny now. But what if Henry were to wish he was Superman and tries to outrun a train, or something?" JJ quickly realized the implications of what Will was saying, and she turned to Matilda in sudden seriousness. "Matilda, you will _not _grant any wishes to Henry without our approval first."

"I'm his fairy godmother dear. Granting wishes is part of the job. However, I would never allow anything serious" she looked at Will meaningfully, "to happen to the child. I also protect him, after all." To Will, she said, "You likely would have broken your neck, if I hadn't helped you down that day. But really, it was the only way you were going to learn magical responsibility, my love."

Will frowned and crossed his arms, but didn't answer. He knew from experience that arguing with Matilda was a futile effort.

As if she had read his mind, Matilda said " Now there's no point in arguing. You will not stop me from doing my job here." Smiling at JJ, she added "However, if you prefer, I can let you make the wishes on Henry's behalf until he's five."

"Eighteen" JJ countered.

Matilda laughed. "Oh, don't be silly, my dear. If he has magical abilities, he'll need wishes to help him explore his gifts at a young age." She looked at JJ for a moment. "Six. That's my final offer."

"Agreed," JJ said, relief for what she perceived as a temporary reprieve clouding her to the other potential outcomes of such an agreement.

Matilda's visit for the rest of that day was uneventful. She even left out the front door the same way she had entered. It wasn't until a week later that JJ learned that Matilda had never really left, and was in fact watching over Henry all the time.

After laying Henry down for a nap one afternoon, she and Will were staring at him in his crib, still in awe of this tiny miracle they had created together. Whispering to JJ, Will had said "I wish my dad could see him." JJ was touched by the thought, and had whispered back, "Oh, that's sweet. I wish my parents could see him too."

Matilda had appeared then, and told JJ "Wish granted." Suddenly, the small room was filled with JJ's parents, and the ghosts of Will's parents. It had taken over an hour of arguing with Matilda to get her to send the grandparents back where they belonged, and without any memory of what had just happened. JJ also came to realize that day Matilda did not possess the best judgment in the world. She had good reason to be afraid of what her friends might be going through now.

She looked at Will with a stern expression on her face to hide the fear she felt for the team. Without saying hello, JJ quickly filled Will in on what had happened. "Do you know why Matilda would have made them all disappear? What do you think she's doing with them now?"

"Well, there's no telling really. I stopped trying to figure out how Matilda thinks a long time ago. The best thing to do is ask her."

"Will, I've called for her already, and she didn't appear."

"Did you wish for her to appear?"

JJ felt a rush of embarrassment run through her. Of course! Wish for her to appear, and she has to for Henry's sake. _When will I get the hang of dealing with magic,_ JJ wondered. _Never,_ she replied to herself with a unexpected, stubborn determination. Feeling absurd, JJ said aloud, "I wish Matilda were here."

Poof! Matilda abruptly appeared in front of Will and JJ. "Yes, dear, what is it?" she asked pleasantly.

"What is it? What do you think it is! You made all my friends disappear. What have you done with them?" JJ blurted in a rush.

Matilda laughed, which sounded like little bells chiming in harmony. "Oh, goodness, it's nothing bad my dear Jennifer. Your co-workers are very stressed out, and it isn't good for Henry to be around that kind of negative energy at such a young age. So I took them all to a happy place where they can rejuvenate and relax, so that when they return they won't be giving off so many harmful vibes."

JJ squashed the urge to grab Matilda and beat her against the walls. _Not that it would do any good_, she thought ruefully. _She'd probably just bounce off them like a rubber ball and laugh at me for trying to hurt her. Focus, _she admonished herself.

As calmly as she could, JJ said, "Matilda, they need that so-called negative energy to do their jobs effectively. And it won't hurt Henry. He's just a baby, for goodness sake!"

"Exactly my point. He's just a baby. Very impressionable at that age." Matilda nodded as she spoke to emphasize her words. "Now…"

At that moment, Strauss walked into the room, carrying a folder. She clearly could not see Matilda because she looked straight at Will and JJ, and not the pink-clad tiny, floating blob in front of them. "JJ, I heard Hotchner and his team arrived about an hour ago, but I can't seem to find them anywhere. I wanted to speak with Hotchner before he heads home. Where is he?"

JJ forced herself to look away from Matilda, which took some effort, to face Strauss. "Oh, ma'am, you just missed him. But I can let him know he should speak with you in the morning."

Strauss sighed. There were some budgetary issues she wished to discuss with Hotchner before he took on another case. "Well, I guess it will have to wait."

Matilda studied the blond woman before her, and decided that this woman was also too negative. She waved her wand as Strauss turned to leave, and poof! _Oh, I am doing a bang up job protecting Henry, _the fairy thought to herself, and she smiled even more brightly.

"Matilda!" JJ yelled in anger. "You can't just make everyone you don't approve of disappear." Her face flushed red as she spoke. "I want to see my friends in front of me now!"

"As you wish, my dear," Matilda replied. She waved her wand and poof! JJ vanished from FBI headquarters. Matilda looked at Will, "Now Will, run Henry on home and I'll take care of Jennifer and her friends." With that, Matilda disappeared herself.

***


	4. Chapter 4 Trick or Treat

After crossing the clearing, the team entered a deep thicket. Large trees soared high overhead, and sunlight sparkled through the leaves. A gentle breeze blew around them, spreading the fragrance of the rich soil and foliage beneath their feet. Birds sang intermittently from the boughs, reminding the team of the wildlife that existed here. As they traveled through the trees, Rossi took the lead from Reid, being familiar with forests and how to keep one's bearings within them from years of hunting experience. For a while they were all subdued, speaking only when necessary, unwilling to discuss what was happening. For each of them, it felt as if they were in a dream, and at any moment they might wake up. None of them really wanted that to happen yet. They simply enjoyed their walk together.

When they had walked for almost an hour, they came upon a very odd looking house. It reminded Emily of the gingerbread houses her mother served during the holidays. What appeared to be candy canes lined the stones leading up to the front door, and lollipops stuck out of the front yard like many little multi-colored flowers. Excited by its appearance, Reid ran ahead of the others to take a closer look.

"Oh, guys! You should check this out. This house smells wonderful! It's like a life-size gingerbread house." He ran his finger across the white edging of the house, and was surprised when some of it came off on his finger. He licked his finger, and it tasted like frosting. "Mmm!" he hummed, and he tried to break off a small corner of one of the roof eaves. It broke away with a soft _snap!_ and he immediately tasted it. To his delight, it tasted just like gingerbread. He looked back at his friends, who were closing in. Hotchner called out to Reid, "Reid, someone must own that house. I don't think you should be eating it."

The door to the house opened, and a tiny, frail, thin, hunched-over old woman walked out. She squinted against the bright daylight, and said in a shaky voice:

Nibble, nibble, nibble more

Who is nibbling at my door?

"Oh, sorry ma'am. I didn't realize anyone lived here. I, I, I was just curious, that's all," Spencer apologized quickly.

The old woman walked over to him slowly. She reached out and took his arm, squeezing it lightly. She looked him up and down, then muttered to herself, "Bah! Too skinny to bother with. I don't have enough food to fatten this one up." To Reid, she said, "Shoo! You're too much work! Run along young man, before I change my mind." With that, she hobbled back into her house without even noticing the others approaching.

Spencer shrugged and ran back to his friends. "I don't think she's in the mood for company."

"Still" Hotch said, "Maybe she could tell us where the nearest village is?"

"Well, I don't know. I don't think she wants company," Reid replied.

"Is that really gingerbread?" Rossi asked, pointing at the piece still in Reid's hand. Reid nodded and handed it to Rossi, who quickly gobbled it up. Wondering what else he might discover upon closer inspection, Rossi said "Well, maybe I'd have better luck with her. Let me have a try." Without waiting for an answer, Rossi strode over to the front door and knocked loudly on it. When no one answered, he tried to knock again using the black door knocker, which broke off in his hand. He sniffed it. Licorice! He ate it with some satisfaction.

The old woman opened the door again, and called out loudly to Rossi,

Nibble, nibble, nibble more

Who is nibbling at my door?

Rossi smiled and answered, "My name is David Rossi ma'am." The old woman reached out and felt his arm. "I was wondering if you could…"

Before he could finish his sentence, the woman said "Oh, you'll do nicely!" and grabbed Rossi's arm tightly. She dragged him into the house forcibly. "Hey, wait!" was all Rossi managed to say before the door slammed shut behind him.

Watching from the front yard, Morgan looked at Hotchner. "I'm thinking maybe we should let him squirm a little first before rescuing him."

"Do you really think he'd learn his lesson if we did?" Hotch replied, amused.

"Good point." Morgan sprinted over to the front door and banged on it. "Listen, we know you're in there. Open up!" When the old woman didn't return to the front door, Morgan backed up and raised his foot to kick it open. To his surprise, his foot went straight through the door where he kicked it, and his leg disappeared through the door up past his knee. After squirming for a minute trying to pull his leg back out without falling, he called back to his friends, "Uh, a little help please!"

"Maybe Rossi isn't the only one who needs to learn a lesson," Emily said to Hotchner as she walked past him towards Morgan., a small smile on her face

"Oh, my dear angel!" Garcia exclaimed. She hurried towards Morgan as well. Hotchner, Reid, and Todd took their time approaching the house, not feeling any particular urgency in this matter. For his part, Hotchner was trying very hard not to laugh.

With Emily on one side and Garcia on the other, they soon dislodged Morgan from the door. He immediately began kicking the door with shallow kicks until a large part of it was crumbs at his feet. He walked through the battered door to the inside.

A wide array of treats filled the house inside. All sorts of sugary confections lined the countertops, shelves, and even parts of the floor. Morgan looked around and didn't see Rossi or the old woman in the front room. He walked through the nearest door carefully, looking for any signs of danger. The next room in the house was a large kitchen. He didn't see a refrigerator, but there was an enormous stove in the center of the room, which appeared to be a wood-burning stove. No one was in this room either. He heard noise coming from the doorway across the kitchen, so he crossed to that entrance, and went through, Emily close behind him.

To his surprise, Morgan saw several large cages in this room. Some of them had very fat children in them. In the one closest to him, he saw Rossi, who was eating from a bowl and making happy noises. "Rossi, you okay?"

Rossi looked up at Morgan. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I mean, at first I was peeved that she threw me in here, but then she handed me this wonderful dish, and I just can't stop eating it! I don't even know what it is, but it tastes great!"

Rossi held the bowl out to him, and Morgan glanced inside it. To him, the contents looked like Yorkshire pudding with a lot of jam on it. "Where's the old woman? Rossi, where'd she go?"

"Oh, uh, out back that way," he said, pointing with a jam-covered finger to a small back door, far too small for Morgan to fit through. "Well, let's get you and all these kids out of here."

While he had been talking with Morgan, Emily had surveyed the room and found keys, which she hoped would unlock the cages. She handed them to Morgan, then went over to the small door to see if she could fit through it. She couldn't fit by squatting down and trying to walk through, but by laying on her stomach she managed to squeeze through the narrow sides. She looked on the other side and saw it was the back yard to the house, so she came back in and decided it would be easier to walk around the house to find the old woman.

Morgan quickly unlocked all the cages and helped the kids out. Garcia led them out of the house. Outside, Hotchner, Reid, and Todd were surprised to see several rotund kids emerge from the house. Emily came out and told the others what she had seen. Hotchner went with her around the side of the house to look for the old woman. Reid and Todd helped Garcia wrangle the kids, who were already trying to wander off on their own. When Rossi and Morgan didn't emerge right away, Garcia decided to go back into the house to help them out.

A few minutes later, the three came out of the house. Morgan was staring at Garcia with a look of awe, and Rossi had a glassy-eyed look from eating too many sugary treats all at once.

By the time the three rejoined Reid and Todd, who had moved to a safe distance away from the house, Emily and Hotchner had walked back around to the front of the house. They gestured to indicate that they hadn't found the woman, and Reid smiled and waved them over to where they all stood. "You're not going to believe this" he said excitedly when they had walked within earshot.

"Let me tell the story," Garcia said smiling. Morgan had already quickly explained what had happened inside to Reid and Todd, and Garcia wanted her turn to tell the tale.

"What happened?" Emily asked. "Did you find the old woman?"

"Yes, and it actually wasn't hard. Rossi grabbed a treat off the countertop as Morgan was helping him leave, and his eating attracted the old woman again. She knocked Rossi and Morgan down, and had dragged them both to the cages in the back by the time I went back into the house to look for them. The old woman came out and told me I was going to help her cook Rossi. Imagine my surprise! Then I remembered the story of Hansel and Gretel, so …"

Garcia paused for dramatic effect, but Emily knew the story herself, so she finished "You tricked the old woman into helping you with the stove, then you shoved her in and cooked her instead?!" She half asked, half exclaimed her response.

"Exactly! Another fairytale reader, I see," Garcia said brightly. "Only I didn't start the fire. She's just locked in the stove. Kind of under house arrest, I guess you could say."

"Great work Garcia!" Hotchner told her, impressed with her quick thinking. "We can send the local authorities around to collect her - when we find them, that is."

Reminded of the treat he had snagged as Garcia retold the story, Rossi reached into his pocket and pulled out a half-eaten s'mores. He held it up and said, "I shouldn't have, but I swear it's the best one I've ever eaten." In a few quick bites, he finished it off and gave everyone a big smile. Hotchner and the others laughed, feeling almost giddy. Hotchner wondered if this was the case they were supposed to do for the fairy godmother, and if they'd be going home soon.

To the team's utter amazement, at that moment a screaming Strauss appeared about six feet above the ground and fell in front of them onto the old woman's front lawn. She seemed to appear out of nowhere. The children they had just rescued saw her, and they ran screaming in all directions away from the team.

Rossi was standing closest to Strauss, so he helped her up. "Madam Director, welcome to our mass delusion," he said with dry humor.

Strauss brushed herself off while she collected herself mentally. She appeared uninjured by her fall, but deeply disconcerted. As she wiped her hands on her clothes to remove the grass, she realized she was simultaneously smearing chocolate onto her clothes. _Rossi_, she thought in annoyance, realizing at a glance that his hand was coated in chocolate for some odd reason. "What in the world is going on?" she asked, incensed.

"We're not entirely sure ourselves," Hotchner answered her gently. She had not had the benefit of waking up here as they had, so she was far more agitated than they were. _Actually, I feel amazingly relaxed, all things considered_, Hotch thought to himself.

***


	5. Chapter 5 Let the Games Begin

Section Chief Erin Strauss was not accustomed to finding herself in inexplicable situations. She had no experience in dealing with unexplained or supernatural events. For the moment, her mind refused to bend to the point where she could accept instant transportation from the FBI headquarters to a forest in some unidentified state. _That's assuming we're still in America,_ Strauss told herself. She could feel the wheels of her mind running in overdrive trying to find an acceptable explanation for what had just happened. Before she had the time necessary to find a plausible reason for this event, however, she heard a familiar voice calling from behind her.

Strauss turned around, looking for Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer Jareau. Her eyes swept the ground, finding an odd yard in front of what appeared to be a life-size replica of a gingerbread house, except the front door was partially demolished. Hearing Jareau call out, "Hey guys, I'm up here," she raised her eyes to see the blonde woman on top of the roof of the house, looking down at her and Hotchner's team.

"Anyone got a flying carpet?" JJ asked, smiling and waving at the group.

"JJ! Be careful!" Emily cried out, afraid her friend might fall off.

"Let's help her get down," Morgan said, already sprinting towards her.

"It's okay. I can get down," JJ called out. With that, she moved quickly along the slanted roof to its edge before anyone could respond. She grabbed the edge of the roof with her left hand, and then deftly swung her legs off the roof while reaching up to also hold its edge with her right hand. She now hung from the roof's edge just a few feet off the ground. She let go and let herself fall the short distance, allowing herself to crouch down and then stand up. She sprung up more quickly and easily than she expected she would, as the ground was almost bouncy beneath her. Turning to face her friends again, she impulsively threw her hands up beside her head as a gymnast would do after sticking a landing, and she flourished an even bigger smile than before.

Garcia, Reid, and Emily laughed and ran towards her. Todd hesitated, then headed after them. They soon closed the distance between themselves and Morgan, and all walked the rest of the way while JJ halved the remaining distance by jogging towards them.

Strauss was not amused or impressed by the agent's antics, and turned to address Rossi and Hotchner. Hotch held up a hand to stop her from asking any more questions, and nodded towards the others. Rossi added, "Let's all discuss this together, shall we?" and walked away from Strauss. When Hotchner also left, Strauss turned, flustered, and followed them.

"Oh my God!" Emily exclaimed excitedly, hugging JJ. "That was great! How'd you get here? Did you upset Matilda too?"

"You know about Matilda?" JJ asked, stunned.

"Yes. Well, sort of. She brought us here, told us she's Henry's fairy godmother - I mean, wow! - and that she had a case she wanted us to work. But she didn't tell us what case, of course. Talk about surprised!" Emily explained in a rush, swiftly catching JJ up.

Todd looked at JJ narrowly. "This is your fault," she told her. "We wouldn't be here if you hadn't brought Henry to work. How are we supposed to get home now?"

"Well, I have an idea about that," JJ replied, feeling both annoyed by Todd's tone and guilty at the same time. Nevertheless, she focused on what could be done to rectify the situation, rather than let her emotions consume her.

As Hotchner, Rossi, and Strauss joined them, Matilda suddenly appeared. Strauss stared wide-eyed at the small, floating fairy. JJ told the fairy quickly, "Matilda, I wish we were all back in the FBI headquarters conference room now!"

Matilda laughed. "My dear, Henry isn't here, so you can't make wishes in this place. But know that you will all return once you have completed the case I have for you." Then she said in her musical voice:

"Let these nine be turned into who or what they need to be

So they can work through their issues, and find serenity."

Matilda waved her wand at them, and disappeared.

No one felt any different, but they all looked _very _different. Their clothes had changed, and now they all looked as if they were straight out of fairy tales. Strauss was in a long black flowing dress, and looked very much like a chic wicked witch without the hat.

Emily wore a beautiful bright red maiden's dress, with a pointy, flowing princess hat firmly affixed on her head. She took one look at her outfit and said "Oh, give me a break!"

"You think you have it bad," JJ retorted, pointing at herself. She had on a pink genie's outfit that looked suspiciously like the one used in the old TV show _I Dream of Jeannie_. Her beautiful golden hair was even styled similarly. "I look ridiculous!" she exclaimed.

"Whoa, it could be worse," Emily said, nodding towards Morgan. He was clad in armor, head to foot. The sun glinted off it, and Emily had to turn away suddenly, afraid of being blinded by the extremely shiny metal.

"Now you really are my knight in shining armor," Garcia quipped. Morgan turned his head towards her, but his face could not be seen behind the helmet he was wearing. Morgan fumbled to open the head plate.

Garcia was clad in a mid-length off-white dress with a brown leather bodice overlaid on top, causing her bosom to be prominently featured. Tall brown boots replete with lacings that went up her legs accompanied her outfit, making her look very much like a warrior princess. She even had a sheathed sword at her side.

Rossi had on a simple huntsman's outfit. The tunic was brown, and the leggings were green. He had a large bow with arrows on his back. Looking at himself, he asked in a dismayed voice, "Tell me I don't look like Robin Hood." JJ smiled at him and shook her head no.

Hotchner had on what appeared to be a royal blue prince's outfit, which stretched tightly across his broad chest. His costume had puffy white arm sleeves and ridiculously puffy pants. He looked like he should either be performing in a ballet or maybe a Shakespearian play, or go out trick-or-treating. The floppy blue hat on his head didn't help dispel this humorous impression.

Everyone smiled when they looked at Reid. His purple wizard robes and conical hat engulfed his slight frame. He held a wand in his hand, which he was slightly afraid to wave at anyone. Seeking to distract the unit from him, he asked them, "Where did Todd go? She was next to JJ a minute ago."

The group looked around, but did not see her. As they searched for her, they heard a loud "Ribit!" at their feet. They looked down and saw a large green blob in the grass. Rossi walked over and picked it up. "It looks like Todd has been turned into a toad," he said seriously.

"Ribit!" the toad called out again, plaintively.

***


	6. Chapter 6 What a Witch

Strauss looked at the others, then at herself. _Outrageous!_ She thought to herself. She wasn't sure what to make of her witch's outfit, or where they were, or how Todd could have possibly been turned into an amphibian. At her wit's end, she declared, "I demand to know what is going on this instant!" She grimaced in anger and frustration, and suddenly looked every bit the part of a wicked witch.

"Yes, ma'am, of course," JJ said calmly. She crossed her arms, remembered what costume she had on, and put them down at her side instead. "I know this is going to be hard to believe, but please keep an open mind. Matilda is the small - uh, person - you just saw disappear, and she's my son's fairy godmother. She transported us all here magically, and changed our attire because she felt we were all being too negative. She was just trying to protect Henry."

"But why these outfits?" Emily asked, feeling as silly as everyone around her looked. "And why did she turn Todd into a frog?"

"A toad, actually," Reid corrected.

Emily gave him a look that said "Does it matter?"

Oblivious to her unspoken message, Reid continued. "Actually, it is odd that she chose to turn her into a toad. Fairy tales tend to use frogs in their stories, like in the story _The Frog Prince,_ probably because of the old wives' tale that one could get warts from frogs. Some also believe you can get warts from toads, but the more common myth about toads is that if you lick them, you can get high. Neither myth is true, of course." Reid looked at the group and laughed, then took another breath and continued. "Licking a toad could actually kill you because they secrete a venom that, if smoked, can get you high, but orally ingested it can kill you. The notable fairy tale exception is _The Toad_, by Hans Christian Anderson."

"I'm not familiar with that fairy tale," Emily interjected. "With the frog prince, a girl has to kiss him to make him human again. What happened in Anderson's story?"

"Well, actually, the toad in the story isn't a human being turned into a toad; it's just a real toad," Reid explained. "The point of the story is that even though it is considered an ugly creature, it possesses something beautiful inside that others truly want. In the story, it's referred to as a jewel, but what the toad actually possesses is a strong desire for life that pushes it to try new things and go new places in the world, despite how others perceive it as repulsive. Ironically, it dies at the end." Reid looked over at the large creature in Rossi's hands, frowning.

"Oh no!" Garcia said, looking at the toad too. "We can't let her die! So, if a kiss won't make her human, what will?"

"Have you all lost your minds?" Strauss said. "That can't be Agent Todd. Rossi is just holding a toad, and nothing more."

Morgan finally pried open his faceplate. He looked at Strauss and said, "With all due respect, you don't know what you're talking about. Whether you want to accept it or not, we are in some kind of magical place, and under some sort of magical spell."

Strauss considered what he said for a moment. "Really? Alright then. Reid appears to be some sort of magician now, so can't he just cast a spell on the toad and turn it into Todd, if it really is her?"

Reid looked surprised by the suggestion. "Well, I uh…" he stumbled.

Hotchner intervened. "Reid may know some physics magic, but he doesn't know anything about casting magical spells. None of us do. We can't risk Todd's life until we learn more about how to operate in this environment."

"Assuming it's even her," Strauss added.

"Yes, assuming it's her," Hotch conceded.

"Well, the frog prince could speak," Emily added. "Maybe she can too?"

Everyone turned and looked at the toad in Rossi's hands. It looked back at the group. "Ribit, ribit!" it bellowed, then peed. Rossi held the toad away from himself until it stopped.

"Well, I guess that answers that question," Strauss said triumphantly.

"Not necessarily," Morgan countered. "If it is Todd, maybe she can't help but act like the creature she was turned into. Look around. Do you see Todd anywhere?"

"Until it's proven otherwise, we need to assume that this is Toad… I mean Todd," Hotchner said. "It was found where she was standing. Maybe she just needs time to learn how to talk in her new form, if it's even possible. The more important thing, at this moment, is for us to figure out what the case is that we're supposed to solve so that we can go back home."

"Well, maybe this is the case," Garcia said, gesturing towards Todd the toad. "Maybe if we work together to get Todd back, then we'll go home."

"That seems unlikely," Rossi countered. "Matilda said we're here to be happy, find our serenity. Does anyone think they'll become happier trying to figure out how to turn a toad into a person?"

JJ smiled at the idea, and looked at Emily, who slowly smiled too. The idea was truly goofy, and soon everyone was smiling - except Strauss. Rossi amended, "Okay, well Garcia, maybe you're right. This could prove interesting."

Still smiling, Hotch shook his head. "Wait," Hotchner said. "Matilda originally told us we had to go to the village and speak with the people there to get our case. Whatever is going on with Todd, I don't think she's our primary concern here."

"Well, that sounds more like it," Strauss said, throwing her head back slightly. "Let's find this village and be done with this mess." She turned to face JJ. "And Agent Jareau, when we do get back, feel free to clean out your desk." With that, she walked through the group, down the path in front of the house, towards the woods.

Emily leaned over to JJ and said in a low voice, "What a witch."

***


	7. Chapter 7 A Little Birdie Told Me

Traveling through the forest once more towards the village, the team came upon a fast stream. It cut a path through the woods, gurgling along its way. Morgan veered from the group and arrived at the shoreline first. He reached down with a cupped hand to taste the water. Derek was surprised that he could move in his suit of armor almost as easily as his old team uniform from when he played football as a kid. The water was cool, clean and refreshing.

Reid walked up beside him on his right, and Morgan playfully flicked a little water on him. "Hey!" Reid gave a mock protest, smiling. He crouched down and got some water for himself. When he was done drinking, he splashed a little water up at Morgan. "Hey, don't make me rust now!" Morgan warned Reid, smiling. "I don't know where we'll find an oil can out here."

Hotchner, Garcia, JJ, and Emily approached the stream to Morgan's left. Rossi and Strauss walked over to the right of Reid. Todd sat on Rossi's shoulder. Emily teased Morgan, "At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if we ran into Dorothy, Toto, and the Cowardly Lion looking for their long lost Tin Man."

Garcia moved closer to Morgan, saying, "Well, Dorothy will have to fight me for this one." She patted the hilt of the sword at her hip.

They smiled at each other, and Morgan told her, "Well, I don't need to visit the Great Oz to find my heart, because you already stole it, baby girl, and have it locked up safe and sound."

"That's right sugar," she leaned over and whispered to him. "That's because I _am_ the Great Oz, knower of all things knowable, which includes your warm, loving heart." She winked at him, and he laughed softly. The sound echoed down his suit.

As Rossi leaned down to get a drink, Todd jumped off him into the water with a big _splash!_ She reveled in the water, hopping about and drinking it liberally. "Hmm, she must have been pretty dried out," Rossi mused, watching her play. The toad sat up and quickly spit a long stream of water at Strauss. Strauss held up her hand, and the water suddenly diverted away from her and hit Rossi in the face instead.

Surprised, the group stared for a moment at the toad and at Strauss, waiting to see what would happen next. The toad hopped towards the shore to Rossi's feet, and gave a small "Ribit!" Rossi picked it up to put it back on his shoulder. "I know you didn't mean to get me," he said in a soft voice, consoling Todd.

Reid looked over at Strauss. "How did you do that? How did you control the water?"

Strauss looked at her own hand for a moment, then put it down. "Well, I don't know. I just wanted it to not hit me, and it didn't."

"So you thought about what you wanted, and it happened," Reid mused out loud to himself. Morgan glanced at Reid, and could almost see the calculations being worked out in the kid's head as he tried to mathematically deduce a solution to controlling magic. Morgan shook his head and turned back to Garcia, knowing that Reid could be like that for days, if they let him.

"It's a shame we don't have any cantinas," JJ commented after trying some of the water. "Then we could take the water with us."

From across the stream, she heard a lilting voice reply, "I can show you where to find some water skins."

Surprised, they all looked towards the voice, but didn't see anyone. "Over here" the voice called again. Following it, they saw movement in the grass on the other side. A small blue bird flew up and crossed the stream.

Emily smiled and held out her hand to the bird. It landed on her hand and chirped sweetly. "Thanks, lovely maiden," the bird told her. Surprised, but ever composed, Emily replied "You're welcome, little bird. I'm Emily. What's your name?"

The bird tweeted for a moment, then replied, "My name is Skyla. I am very glad to meet you, Emily."

"Likewise," Emily told her. "What has happened, that you are out here in the woods by yourself, Skyla?"

"Oh, it is a sad tale," Skyla answered. "My village is plagued by an evil dragon that demands a maiden be brought to him each month, or he will destroy us all. None of the maidens who have been brought to him have been heard from again. When I became old enough to wed, my uncle feared for my safety. To disguise me, he bought a spell to turn me into a bird and thus protect me from the dragon's intentions. I will remain this way until I find a handsome young prince who will marry me."

Everyone in the group turned to look at Hotchner, who was striking in his puffy blue prince outfit. Rossi chuckled, and Morgan looked as if he were about to say something, when Hotch shook his head and blurted out, "Oh, no, wait! I want to get home too, but marriage? There must be another way to break the spell." JJ, Emily, and Garcia all giggled as he squirmed. Strauss smiled slightly. Only Reid looked sympathetically at Hotchner. Turning to the bird, Aaron asked, "What does a dragon want with the maidens of your village?"

"No one knows," Skyla tweeted sadly. "We do not understand why the dragon is doing this to us. Until we can find someone who can understand his motives, we may not ever be able to stop him."

"But if you can understand why he is attacking your village, you think you might be able to get him to leave?" Reid asked.

"Our village elder believes so. He has been looking for someone wise enough to understand the purpose behind the dragon's attacks."

Morgan straightened up and looked seriously at the group, saying what they all thought, "Well, it looks like we have found our case."

***


	8. Chapter 8 Through The Woods We Go

Wanting to retrieve the water skins first, Skyla showed the team to the woodman's cottage, who lived near the stream in the heart of the woods. He was rarely home during the day, as he worked long hours cutting up old or fallen trees and gathering limbs to supply firewood for the villagers. He kept many water skins in his tanning shed, as he made these to sell along with fur hides from animals he trapped. A disproportionate number of the pelts were from wolves.

"He must have something against wolves," Garcia remarked upon peeking inside. The smell kept her from entering the shed.

Skyla tweeted a sound akin to laughter. "Who doesn't? Wolves only bring bad luck."

"You're sure the woodsman won't mind us helping ourselves here?" Rossi asked Skyla.

She ruffled her feathers and trilled out "No. If you rid us of this dragon, these water skins will have been a small price for him to contribute for your help." She encouraged each team member to take one, since it would be several hours before they would reach the village.

They went back to the stream, filled their skins, and headed towards the village with Skyla's guidance. They asked her to tell them about the village and everything she knew about the dragon.

"Our village is old and prosperous. My people have lived here for over twelve generations. Until the dragon came a few years ago, we had no conflicts with any neighboring villagers, nor any creatures. It was a peaceful and happy place to live. Then the dragon came down from the sky, and claimed the caves to the west of our village as his home. He said he was born there, and had been away, and did not like humans living so near him now. He said he would not destroy us if we would pay him tribute with one unmarried maiden each month. At first, we did not want agree to his demands. Many heroes from the land answered our call for help, but none were able to defeat the dragon. None who went to face the dragon ever returned, so we do not know much about him. After the first defenders were lost, the dragon returned and burned down all our fields with fire from his mouth. He said we could comply, or he would destroy us all. The king decided to give in to the dragon's demands, and we have sent one maiden with escorts to his caves every month since then. The escorts bring her as far as the hill before the cave mouth, and watch until she enters. They return, but none else have."

"Did no one ever ask why the dragon wants maidens sent to him?" Reid asked the little bird.

"Yes, our king did when the dragon first arrived. Thinking he wanted food, the king offered the dragon any other manner of animal to eat, rather than our maidens. The dragon said he was not going to devour them. So the king asked why he did want them, but the dragon would only say "to pay tribute to me." He refused to answer the king's questions further. So no one knows."

"Do you think it's possible the dragon is keeping these women alive?" Hotchner asked.

"I don't see how," Skyla responded sadly. "They have no food or water in those caves, so how would they live? The villagers have taken turns keeping an eye on the caves since the dragon came to us, and no one has ever seen anyone come out of the cave again, except the dragon of course."

Rossi looked at Hotchner. "If he is killing them, then we have a serial killer on our hands."

"What does that tell you about him?" Strauss asked.

"There are three main types of serial killers," Reid told her. "Thrill seekers, mission oriented, and power and control killers. Thrill seekers like to taunt the authorities. They think of their kills as a game to show their superiority over law enforcement. They enjoy the attention they receive and the rush they feel from evading the authorities. This dragon is getting attention, but he isn't outsmarting the villagers, so this isn't the kind of killer he would be."

Emily added, "Mission oriented killers feel they're doing society a favor by eliminating undesirable people from their ranks, like criminals or the homeless. They choose their victims carefully to fit their criteria. Since the dragon isn't choosing his victims himself, it's unlikely that he would see what he's doing as helpful."

Morgan continued, "Power and control killers, on the other hand, enjoy their victim's suffering. They get off on causing terror and pain to others. The more power over others they have, the more intoxicating the kill is for them. Being able to control not only the victims, but a whole group of people like this dragon is doing, would appeal greatly to this type of serial killer. In his mind, his power is absolute, and he feeds off of the villagers' fear."

Strauss thought about this. "If that's true, why doesn't he tell them what he's doing to these women? Wouldn't the villagers suffer more knowing how he's hurt or killed them?"

"Not necessarily," Rossi answered. "Sometimes our own imaginations can be worse than actually knowing what has happened."

"But why choose young maidens?" Garcia asked. "If he wanted the villagers to suffer, why not ask for children? Or babies?"

"Perhaps because he can't enjoy the suffering of the actual victim if they're that young," Hotchner replied. "There's usually a sexual component involved in serial killings, and the dragon may not be sexually attracted to children."

Garcia shuddered. "Why would he be attracted to humans at all? He's a dragon, after all!"

"Well, he is now," Skyla answered. "But he may be like me. Maybe someone turned him into a animal long ago, but he could have started out as a human."

"That was a mistake. They turned him into a monster," Strauss replied.

"When humans are transformed into animals, their animal state is often a reflection of their true inner selves. They didn't turn him into a monster. They just revealed the monster that was within him," Skyla tweeted back.

"Really?" Morgan asked, looking over at Todd sitting on Rossi's shoulder. It looked back at him and said "Ribit" in a surprisingly annoyed tone. "I wonder what it means to be turned into a toad."

Skyla twilled for a moment, then answered "Oh, toads are magical creatures. Like frogs and salamanders, they can live both in and out of water."

"They're amphibians," Reid interjected.

"Yes. Frogs are the least of the three. Salamanders can heal fast when injured, but toads have better defenses. Of the three, I'd want to be a toad."

"So you think being a toad is a good thing?" Emily asked Skyla.

"Oh, yes. Who would mess with you? They look less attractive than frogs, but can hide in the grass just as easily, and they taste bad so no predators want to eat them. Toads can protect themselves." Skyla tilted her head to look around at the toad sitting on Rossi's shoulder. She asked Emily, "Is that toad a friend of yours?"

"Yes. Well, we think so. She hasn't said anything yet, but we think it's our friend Todd."

Skyla whistled a short tune, then said "She may need to eat and rest first. Get her strength up. It takes a lot when you first become an animal to get over the transition and talk again. It took me days before I could talk."

"So she's in shock" JJ mused aloud.

The team walked through the woods in silence for a while, lost in their own thoughts. The murmuring of the wind through the trees had a lulling effect that relaxed them. They were surprised at how quickly they covered the distance through the woods and broke forth from the tree lines to open land. The sun was starting to set, and the deep red, orange, and purple hues among the clouds on the far horizon was a beautiful sight to behold. Above, some stars twinkled in the clear sky. Lowering their eyes towards the ground, they could see darkness was settling in.

In the near distance, they saw what must be Skyla's village, but it was far larger than they had imagined it would be. "That looks more like a large city," Hotchner said softly. Lights shimmered from torches high in the city, recently lit if the black smoke curling away from them were any indication. Candles glowed through windows here and there.

The team would be able to reach the buildings by nightfall if they hurried. As one, they started forward again without saying a word. To each of them, it looked as if they had just stepped into the past, and this community gave them an oddly comforting feeling.


End file.
